Introduction

This is one of our very favourite winter dishes. It works brilliantly as a one-pot wonder and can be enjoyed over several days, as it carries on getting better and better. Many a broken man has been mended at Barrafina after devouring this dish – it has that sort of effect. Arrocina beans are tiny white beans grown in the Gredos mountains of Spain. Remember to soak them overnight.

Serves 6–8 as a Main

Ingredients

500g

top-quality pork belly

4–5 dsp

extra virgin olive oil

Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp

cumin seeds

2

fennel bulbs, cut into 1cm dice

2

medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm dice

2

large shallots, peeled and diced

1

large leek, cut into 1cm dice

2

sticks of celery, cut into 1cm dice

1

head of garlic, cloves peeled and finely chopped

150g

morcilla curada

3

dried choricero peppers, soaked in warm water for 2 hours

3

dried guindilla chillies, cut in half lengthways

5

bay leaves, fresh if possible

1

small bunch of fresh thyme

500g

Arrocina beans, soaked in cold water overnight

2l

chicken stock

800g

cooking chorizo, sliced

150g

morcilla de Burgos, skin removed, sliced

1

savoy cabbage, core removed, heart finely sliced and lightly cooked

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Rub the meaty side of the pork belly with a little of the olive oil and season it with salt, pepper and cumin seeds. Put it into a large roasting tray, skin side down, and roast in the oven for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and cut the pork belly into 3cm strips across its width. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large pan or casserole over a medium heat and add 2 dessertspoons of olive oil. Add the vegetables and garlic and cook gently, stirring, for 10 minutes.

Peel the morcilla curada and crumble it into the casserole with your hands. Drain the choricero peppers and slice, removing the seeds. Add the choriceros, chillies, bay leaves and thyme to the casserole and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the drained Arrocina beans and the chicken stock and simmer very gently, uncovered, for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are cooked and beautifully soft.

Heat a dessertspoon of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chorizo and morcilla de Burgos and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, then add to the stew.

Finally add the sliced pork belly and cooked Savoy cabbage, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

More Spanish Recipes

This recipe is featured in

Who's the author? Sam and Eddie Hart, owners of Barrafina and head chef, Nieves Barragan Mohacho.

What's it about? This cookbook shares the secrets and recipes from one of the most popular Spanish restaurants in the UK. It doesn't contain tricky, fancy restaurant food but instead is packed with gutsy, fresh, sometimes delicate, sometimes hearty…